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Sell land for affordable homes in Washington

Whether your land is in Washington itself or in the villages between Washington and Chester-le-Street, we'll look at it properly before making any offer.

A rural exception site is a small site on the edge of a village, where housing would not normally be allowed, that can be granted permission for affordable homes to meet a local need. Land sold for this purpose usually achieves more than farmland value, though less than open-market housing land.

  • Free appraisal and written offer
  • No pressure to decide
  • Independent advice encouraged

Tell us about your land

We'll check the title and planning, then call you.

Please enter your name.
Please enter a UK phone number.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a postcode, or at least the first half.
Please tick the box so we can contact you.

Free and no obligation. We're the buyer, so there's no commission.

Where Washington sits

From Washington, it's 4 miles to Chester-le-Street and 4 miles to Felling. We buy land across that whole stretch of Tyne and Wear, not only within the town.

TownWashington
CountyTyne and Wear
CountryEngland
Postcode districtNE37
OS grid squareNZ35
Nearest towns we coverChester-le-Street (4 mi), Felling (4 mi), Houghton-le-Spring (5 mi)
Distance from Newcastle upon TyneAbout 6 miles south-east
Planning systemNational Planning Policy Framework and local plan
Ways to sellOutright, subject to planning, option or joint venture
Small group of new brick homes with slate roofs on the edge of a village

Land we're keen to see around Washington

  • Small fields or paddocks adjoining a village
  • Villages with evidence of local housing need
  • Land owned by families, estates, churches or charities
  • Sites where a small share of market homes could help viability, where policy allows it

Many landowners like the idea of land helping local families. We explain how exception sites work, what the price is based on and how local need is shown.

How we arrive at a figure for land in Tyne and Wear

Housing need

A local housing needs survey usually has to show demand for the homes.

Tenure mix

Social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership homes produce different values.

Access and services

Costs of roads and drainage come out of a smaller budget than market housing.

Long-term control

Legal agreements keep the homes affordable, often with local occupancy rules.

Choosing how to sell

Outright purchase

Possible once an exception scheme has permission.

Subject-to-planning sale

The usual route: we agree a price and complete when permission is granted.

Option agreements

Useful while housing need is evidenced and a scheme is prepared.

Joint ventures

Can suit estates and charities that want an ongoing say in the homes.

What happens next

  1. Tell us about your land

    Send the postcode or address and a rough size.

  2. We do the homework

    We read the title and planning record and check flood risk and access.

  3. You get a written offer

    With the main figures behind it, so your adviser can check it.

  4. Solicitors complete the sale

    Exchange and complete, or exchange now and complete when planning is granted.

Rules that apply in England

Planning framework

Planning decisions in England follow the National Planning Policy Framework, revised in August 2026, and the local plan, prepared by the council or, in a national park, the park authority. Plans are reviewed periodically, which is when new housing sites are usually allocated.

Section 106 and CIL

Larger schemes often need a Section 106 agreement for affordable housing or contributions, and councils that have adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charge it per square metre of new floorspace.

Rural exception sites

The National Planning Policy Framework supports small rural exception sites for affordable homes that meet a local need.

Awkward details we deal with

The village has no recent housing survey

Need can be evidenced through a new survey with the parish council and the council's housing team.

You're a charity or trust

Charity trustees usually need advice from a designated adviser before disposing of land. We'll work with your adviser.

Useful to send us

  • A rough size, in acres or hectares
  • A plan, or a screenshot from an online map
  • Your title number, if you know it
  • Photos of the land and its access

Questions from landowners near Washington

Can some homes be sold on the open market?

Some councils allow a small number of market homes to make a scheme viable. It depends on local policy.

Who lives in the homes?

Usually people with a local connection who can't afford market housing, chosen under rules set in a legal agreement.

Do you plan affordable housing?

Yes. Affordable and social housing is part of the land-to-homes work the S&K Group is setting out to do, and we can talk through how a scheme on your land might work.

How do I get an offer for land in Washington?

Use the form on this page or call 0800 088 6248. Tell us the postcode, the rough size and anything you know about planning, and we'll come back to you.

Also near Washington

Other land in Washington

Find out what we'd pay for your land near Washington

A free appraisal tells you what we'd pay and why.

Get an offerCall 0800 088 6248